


moonflower

by nonamebut



Category: LOONA (Korea Band), fromis_9 (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Non-Famous, Empath Jang Gyuri, F/F, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Jang Gyuri-centric, Non-Linear Narrative, Really Vague Magical AU, ft 97line
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-09
Updated: 2019-08-09
Packaged: 2020-08-13 19:14:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,630
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20179315
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nonamebut/pseuds/nonamebut
Summary: Gyuri always feels too much, too deeply.  (It helps that Jiwoo does, too.)





	moonflower

**Author's Note:**

> [every little thing she does is magic (i resolve to call her up a thousand times a day and ask her if she'll marry me in some old fashioned way)](https://open.spotify.com/track/3cBtANnJGopPaRMXCl3mV7?si=qBWNV1C_SI2Q6iWj33HTaw)
> 
> this piece and the other chuu centric one i also just posted are my first loona/fromis fics, which i wrote to practice for orbit fic fest :D

Gyuri's first experience with love is of her parents.

Most of the kids that live in this part of the city are also children of soldiers and fighters of the sector, so admittedly, there aren't a lot of opportunities for the younger ones to observe even the more traditional displays of love. It's only when their working parent or parents finish their required service that the weddings actually happen.

If anything, there's something special about attending the ceremony of your parents. When Gyuri gets to be the flower girl for hers, all her classmates fuss and crowd around her, trying to conjure camellias and attempting to braid bluebells into her hair.

The ceremony starts at noon, when the sun is highest in the sky, so there's still a good amount of time to explore the pavillion before Gyuri is made to stand at one of the special platforms. One of her classmates suggests they play hide and seek, and Gyuri is surprised to see her mother crouching by a side fountain, hiding in the shade.

Mother's power is strengthened by the daylight, so it figures she would be trying to keep out of the sun to keep from buzzing too much with magic and excitement. "Can I hide with you, momma?"

"Of course, baby." Mom smiles, shifting and making space for Gyuri to sit by her, their backs covered by the marble of the fountain. "Those flowers look beautiful, Gyuri. More so on you!"

Gyuri blushes prettily. "Thanks mom."

The sound of rushing water keeps them company, and after a while, her mother takes hold of one of her hands and laces their fingers together. The promise ring on mom's finger is cool to the touch, the enchantment cast on it tugging at Gyuri's mind, as if asking her if she wants to relive the memory associated with it.

Gyuri doesn't need to give into the magic to recall the story of how her parents got together, but for the first time, Gyuri realizes the true gravity of that first meeting, of what that chance moment meant, what it led to.

"You really love dad... sooo much, don't you?" Gyuri asks, feeling a bit dumb. It's not like this is a particularly dramatic moment, after all. They're sitting on the dirt, the very dirt that many generations past must have wed their partners in long before she was born. Her mother is wearing her favorite dress, the one that shimmers whenever she moves, reminding Gyuri of prisms and lightbends.

It's not like Gyuri didn't know that one day, when dad came back the way he did, that her parents would rush to join their fates under the August sky.

It's just that her mother hasn't smiling since the moment she woke Gyuri up, and it's only now that Gyuri realizes that that's not a new development at all.

"I really do." Mother leans in to tuck a stray strand of hair from Gyuri's face, lingering briefly at the shell of her ear, before she slides her hand down to lovingly cup her daughter's face. "Hey, Gyuri?"

"Yes?" The child holds her breath. Mom used the voice she only ever uses when she deems it important, so Gyuri must listen well.

"You should only offer yourself to someone who makes you smile," mother says so very indulgently. "Never settle for someone who makes you more sad than happy. You have so much love of your own to give, sweetheart."

Gyuri smiles back, tears blurring her vision and a strange something blocking her throat, feeling so very warm and loved. Even without the ability that allows her to feel what others do so, so deeply, Gyuri can tell how much affection her mother has for her. For her father, for their little family.

It makes her wonder about the day she'll be able to feel this way for herself, when her own heart will be possessed by these strong phantoms of emotion. Who that special person could possibly be, the kind of person they are—like the romantic she's always been, Gyuri hopes that, at least, she'll know when she meets them.

—

Decades later, Gyuri learns that it's a lot harder than it looks. Gyuri didn't realize love stared her in the face, all those years ago, but she can definitely say that by now, she's become a bit of an expert at picking out love when she sees it.

While her wife is out picking vegetables at one of the vendor stalls farther ahead, Gyuri leans in, all conspiratorial like, towards the friend that accompanied them for this week's food run. "So," Gyuri starts. "You and Eunbi, huh?"

Yuna startles very visibly, jumping and clutching her chest. She nudges Gyuri away when the other passerby start staring at them. "Who told you that, huh?"

Rolling her eyes, Gyuri links their arms together, pulling them towards a less crowded part of the path. "No one needed to tell me anything. I could see it all over your face."

"Wait!" Yuna gasps, the pupils of her eyes shaking as she glances at all their points of contact. Gyuri only presses herself closer to her friend.

"If you try reading my mind, I swear, Gyuri...!"

"For the last time, I'm not a mind reader!" Gyuri huffs. "And I already told you. I didn't even need my power to know you've been on cloud nine these past few days."

Gyuri remembers how bashful Yuna looked whenever she got anonymous flowers on her desk at work. How Yuna almost skips as she walks. The way her voice sounds sweeter when she speaks, the way it's almost saccharine when she sings.

"Yeah, yeah. Maybe there's something going on." Yuna swallows. "It's just... a baby thing, though. It just started, so don't go around telling anyone, okay? We're just taking it real slow... since we've been friends for so long and all..."

"Don't worry," Gyuri says quickly. "Your secret is safe with me."

There were plenty of heart fluttering actions that Gyuri has been observing from Yuna recently, but there also have been more concerning habits, motions that she hasn't seen Yuna go through for quite a while.

Yuna's nervousness bleeds so strongly that Gyuri can't help but accept it from where they're touching. Gyuri's imagination suddenly takes her to skyscraper stress and hell heights, a physical and metaphorical fear she doesn't possess herself.

There is, really, only one thing Gyuri can say at this point. It's not much, but with all the strength and warmth she can summon from her heart, she says—

"Have courage, Yuna." Gyuri suddenly feels the small weight in her pocket so very vividly. She thinks of the enchanted bands of silver her parents promised to her, thinks how great it would be to have that for herself. How great it would be if Yuna could let herself have that too. "Let's be brave."

—

"I'm an empath," Gyuri huffs. "Of course I know what falling in love feels like."

Jiwoo hums as she twists her straw between her fingers. Gyuri doesn't know why she's so unimpressed. "If you say so."

"Why?" No one's ever really doubted Gyuri's abilities before. If anything, people are always under the impression that she's super powerful, when in truth, Gyuri's just a little sensitive. It doesn't really help that she's a total sentimental cry baby that's always felt a little too much.

"Hey, here!" Gyuri reaches out to grab Jiwoo's hand. Though they've only formally met recently, she's observed how friendly Jiwoo is, how touchy she can get. Gyuri flusters a little herself when Jiwoo suddenly blushes, but Jiwoo doesn't let go of Gyuri's hand. "Here, what?"

"I can tell what you're feeling right now, if you're doubting me!" This makes Jiwoo gasp and pull her hand away with such a great force that the lunch table shakes a bit when her elbow makes impact with it.

"That's not what I meant!~" Jiwoo singsongs, clearly trying to laugh off the moment.

The conversation is dropped when Jiwoo's classmate—Jungeun, was it?—comes by to say hello. "What did you mean then," Gyuri mumbles at her cup of red bean tea. Not even Hayoung is this difficult, and that girl is way crazy.

—

To everyone's surprise, the perfectionist top student Bang Chan falls in love with one of the juniors—the strange cat boy who dropped out of the sports team Chan led for a few weeks before he came back with a newfound confidence and hair cut.

As always, Jiwoo is the one who breaks the news, excitedly chattering away before their professors call them back in for their last hours of required OJT. Gyuri finds it really cute how her best friend gets so worked up about these things, just like everything else she loves. Jiwoo is probably one of the only people who Gyuri can really connect to, on the whole feeling deeply front.

"He's younger by one year, though," Jiwoo concludes, nodding passionately to herself.

No one says anything for a beat, still absorbing the fact bombs she just dropped. There's a brief moment of bliss before one of Jiwoo's blockmates decides to take the opportunity to rile her up.

"So? You can date someone younger than you," Changbin says, very sage and very wise. Maybe even a little bit smug. Gyuri watches as he raises an eyebrow at Jiwoo, just to make sure the girl knew he's trying to provoke her. Distantly, Gyuri wonders if that's how kids flirted these days. Is that the kind of thing Jiwoo likes?

If Gyuri is honest with herself, she's kind of hoping that Jiwoo is more of a slow approach kind of person. Jiwoo has always seemed kind and sweet on everyone, her loyalty and undying support something Gyuri has always admired, so it would probably take someone really special to become the person Jiwoo loves most.

Gyuri quickly looks back down at her food tray, feeling strangely like she's been caught—even though she was, quite technically, the one who caught them and not the other way around. As she pushes around the last strawberry floating on her fruit salad, she promises to herself that she'll be a better friend to Jiwoo.

Jiwoo has been nothing but supporting of her, after all. She's held her hand through all her break ups, cheered her on when she felt like she couldn't take all the business coursework anymore. And, most importantly, Jiwoo knows everything Gyuri adores, what makes her happy—in fact, if it weren't for Jiwoo, Gyuri wouldn't have the strength to take the leap and pursue her dreams at all.

If she didn't even know that Jiwoo and Changbin are that close, she doesn't stand a chance at all. (Wait, chance? Wait, no—)

—

Hayoung corners Gyuri just as she's about to leave the dorm building to fetch Jiheon. Their voices echo faintly in the pitch white stairwell.

"Where's Jiwoo? I need to talk to her about that cover collab we're posting next Friday."

With a foot hovering halfway midair, Gyuri pauses and considers her childhood best friend.

"I don't know?" Gyuri isn't Jiwoo's keeper. "Why does everyone keep asking me about her, as if I'm her doting mother?"

When Hayoung laughs, sidesteps to make sure Gyuri can't go down the stairs without bumping into her, Gyuri knows she's made a big mistake.

"Oh, we don't ask you because you're a Chuu mom," Hayoung says, a devilish smile adorning her typically sweet face. "Unless you're into that kind of thing? Like a mommy kink?"

Even though Hayoung is on a lower step of the stairs and is at least a good inch shorter than Gyuri on level ground, Gyuri still feels immensely intimidated. This is what happens when the fromis team's—_ loving _ —punching bag finally gets the chance to— _ lovingly _—tease back.

The air crackles purposely around them, pockets of energy bursting and popping as Hayoung works herself up.

"Gyuri!" Saerom, bless her soul, yells up the stairs. "Are you coming or not?"

Gyuri shoves at Hayoung, says, "I'm coming!"

Hayoung shouts at Gyuri as she goes out the emergency exit, but Gyuri can't pick out the words over the loud thump, thump, thump of her heart.

—

"Hey, Gyuri, did you hear?" Gyuri presses her phone even harder against her ear, as if the action could physically bring Jiwoo closer to her. "Jihyo is dating Daniel."

Jiwoo always has the strangest stories to tell, and that's a part of why Gyuri likes to spend her five minute breaks hiding out at the ladies comfort room, struggling to get reception just to hear the rises and falls of her friend's voice. "Where do you even get these rumors from? It's like you run the rumor mill with how much you know at all times."

"That doesn't matter!" There's a dinging sound in the background, sounding suspiciously like a coffee machine—Jiwoo is probably sneaking a call while she's on a caffeine run for her superiors. "What matters is that Nation's Best Girl is dating the infamous guy from our rival school!"

Kang Daniel, infamous? Gyuri hums as she locks the cubicle she picks, moving to put down the toilet seat so she can sit. "Isn't Daniel a great guy? As far as I know, everyone likes him."

Jiwoo sighs. It's amazing how much patience her best friend has, especially when it came to Gyuri. Gyuri almost feels a little bit guilty, with how clueless she knows she can get despite her gift. "That's why this is such an issue. This is like... a powerhouse couple! All other OTPs are effectively cancelled for the rest of 2019."

"What does it matter to you?" Gyuri asks suddenly. "I've never understood why you're always so obsessed with all this romance stuff. I'd get it if you were like me, but your power isn't emotionally based at all. What gives?"

"Ah!" Jiwoo probably dropped another mug again in her haste. "_ Gyuri _."

Gyuri says back, softly, "Jiwoo." There's a pause when Jiwoo's probably cleaning the mess up, and when the familiar rustling sound echoes through Gyuri's phone again, Gyuri picks up the thread of conversation like nothing happened at all.

"So? Why are you concerned with all this?" She then adds, almost absentmindedly, "Are you jealous?"

Jiwoo squeaks; thankfully this time it doesn't seem like she broke anything. "You figure it out, if you're so smart!" she says hastily, before she hangs up with a beep, beep, beep of the tone.

—

"So?" Gyuri doesn't need her magic to know that Jiwoo's nervous. "How about it?"

How about it? There's no other answer, really. Gyuri thinks of how Jiwoo, despite all her gossipy tendencies, always goes and tells Gyuri everything first. Thinks of Jiwoo and her loud voice and her strong melodies and how her passion ignites Gyuri's own, twin flames pulsing alongside each other.

Gyuri reaches out to hold Jiwoo's hand. Like the way she did all those years ago, Jiwoo blushes oh so prettily. Though Gyuri can sense Jiwoo's affection for her in waves, Gyuri also realizes something else that's always been there: the lingering sensation squeezing her own chest, a feeling that belonged to her and her alone. Love, haunting her heart like a centuries old ghost.

"How about it?" Gyuri echoes gently. "I think we both already know the answer to that."

"Maybe I just want to hear you say it anyway... !"

Once Jiwoo gets distracted, preoccupied with huffing pretentiously and acting all cute, Gyuri leans in to press a soft kiss to her cheek.

Jiwoo flusters and Gyuri just laughs and laughs. There's only one silly girl in this entire world who could possibly make Gyuri feel this happy. "I love you too, Kim Jiwoo."

x x x x

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading! good night have a great weekend


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